Is that how you asked? "Ever heard of anyone named Todd Akin?". Sounds like you are asking if they know the guy personally. If you asked if they'd heard of "the senator who made the statement about rape", you'd probably get a different answer.
If I were at a grocery store and someone asked me “Ever heard of anyone named Todd Akin?” I would do a quick scan through my brain and say “nope, never heard of him”.
By the time I get into my car I’ll be thinking “hmm, that name does sound familiar now that I think of it. Wait! That’s the name of the idiot in Missouri. I wonder why that man asked me if I knew him.”